Some runners said that while Beach to Beacon’s testing is effective, it can do more.
"It’s unfortunate that the Beach to Beacon has been marred by this," said North Yarmouth native Ben True, the only American winner of the race (2016). "But it’s the unfortunate reality of the sport. While we try to take steps to make sure cheating is not allowed, it’s a sad reality that not all the athletes are competing fairly. I’m glad that WADA was able to do their job this time and (she) was caught, but the unfortunate reality is that is not always the case. … Having testing at the event does dissuade some (doping) people from attending to begin with."
True added that the race’s best chance to curtail doping in future events comes in the vetting process.
"If meet directors are picky and choosy on who they are supporting to come to the race … there are certain agents out there, certain coaches out there, certain training groups out there that are more questionable than others," he said. "The New York Road Runners are pretty good with that, and they’ll refuse to bring someone to their meets that they have questions over.
"It’s a lot of work, though. You have to really know the world of running, and you also have to potentially say no to somebody who might be running really fast but there’s a lot of suspicion around."
